Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 582 › Conversation 582-005

Nixon & Bull on Press relations and Souvanna Phouma

Thursday, September 30, 1971 · 2:50 PM–2:54 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation582-005 on Tape 582 (tape position 00:27:38–00:29:23)StartThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:50 PMEndThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:54 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 582-005 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417179053 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull reviewed the presidential schedule to coordinate upcoming meetings with Souvanna Phouma, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and Southern Democrat Congressmen. Nixon directed Bull to restrict press access and photography, specifically ordering that he not be photographed with these guests. Instead, he instructed that photographer Oliver Atkins take individual photos for distribution to minimize time constraints and eliminate unnecessary press contact.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:27:38 – 00:29:23

part A, 27:27

582a.mp3

582b.mp3

NARA Description

On September 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 582-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 582-005

Date: September 30, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Souvanna Phouma
                -Press photos
                      -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                -Time
          -Meeting with Southern Democrat Congressmen
                -Arrival
          -Phouma
                -Length of meeting
          -Meeting with Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
                -Press photo
          -Press photographs
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Press
                -Photo opportunity
                      -Phouma
                      -Douglas-Home
                           -Atkins
          -Meeting with Congressmen

The President and Bull left at 2:54 pm.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah, I'll get, uh, where it says hold.

Okay.

Uh, we're going to be very tight in time now.

There will be no precipitous monocle.

We've got to quit all that acting and get the hell out.

And I just, I put in back to 3.30.

Because these congressmen are not here tonight.

They just are getting their cabins and arrangements.

They're arriving now at the right time.

So not a problem if we get 3.30 in the last half hour.

And also the same with Hume, there'd be no press fiction.

Just don't get one.

I see.

Because of the time.

Unless Hume...

Well, just tell the program that I just think we just don't need any pictures or anything.

We haven't got the time.

There's no compromise.

I don't want anything with him for any reason.

He has to have one.

He can have one with you.

But I really don't want one.

Let Ollie take a picture of each.

He can distribute what they want.

And get them out.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Also recorded on September 30, 1971

010-038 2:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 2:12 pm to 2:15 pm.
010-039 2:15 PM · 24 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and Toni Sidley talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 2:15 pm on September 30, 1971 and 8:56 am on October 5, 1971.
582-001 2:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:22 pm.
582-002 2:22 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:22 pm and 2:50 pm.
582-003 2:25 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:25 pm to 2:50 pm.
582-004 2:50 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
078-003 2:54 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Democratic Congressmen from the South, including Tom Bevill, Omar Burleson, William M. Colmer, David N. Henderson, Alton A. Lennon, George H. Mahon, Olin E. ("Tiger") Teague, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, and Richard K. Cook, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 2:54 pm to 3:35 pm.
582-006 3:38 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Souvanna Phouma, Prince Khammao, Alex Toumayan, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:38 pm to 4:10 pm.

All 28 conversations from September 30, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Haig on Laos and United Nations October 25, 1971 · 3 min
Nixon & Butterfield on Radio address and Souvanna Phouma October 26, 1972 · 1 min
Nixon, Kissinger & Phouma on Vietnam War and Laos October 27, 1972 · 52 min
Cole & Haig on Staffing and Lewis A. Engman July 25, 1972
Nixon & Woods on Alice Widener March 21, 1973 · 2 min
Nixon & Butterfield March 11, 1971 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 582-005, September 30, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417179053). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/582-005 (accessed November 12, 2026).